Mcenroe Teaches Becker A Lesson

November 03, 1985|By Steve Nidetz.

Boris Becker, who won Wimbledon without having to play John McEnroe, met McNasty Saturday in the semifinals of the European Championships at Antwerp, Belgium, and came up on the short end. McEnroe breezed past the 17-year-old West German 6-3, 6-4 to set up a final against Ivan Lendl, who beat Anders Jarryd 6-3, 6-2.

``He is a great player,`` said Becker, who lost 6-3, 6-4 to McEnroe in their only previous meeting 10 months ago. ``He has much more experience than I do. I need to spend more time on the tour.`` Said McEnroe: ``You don`t become No. 1 by winning one tournament. It takes years and years.``

-- The American team continued its domination of the British squad at the Wightman Cup at Williamsburg, Va., with three victories to sweep the series 7-0. Chris Evert Lloyd and Pam Shriver won in singles and then combined for a doubles victory to complete the rout.

Flat-out finish

Lee Raymond, driving the last five laps with a flat tire, crossed the finish line under the ninth caution flag of the day to win the ARCA 300 stock- car race at Hampton, Ga. The race ended under a yellow flag after a three- car wreck occurred with five laps remaining. Ken Ragan triggered the incident when the engine blew on his Pontiac. Bob Penrod`s Chevrolet hit Ragan`s car and turned sideways. Bill Venturini`s Chevrolet then slammed into Penrod`s car and hit the outside wall while Penrod crashed into the pit wall. After being examined in an Atlanta hospital, Penrod was released.

Badgers on top

Timothy Hacker and Stephanie Herbst led Wisconsin to a sweep of both the men`s and women`s divisions of the Big 10 cross-country meet at Ann Arbor, Mich. Hacker covered the men`s 8,000-meter course in 24 minutes 27.4 seconds, while Herbst raced a 5,000-meter course in 17:20.3. Northwestern finished second in the women`s division and third in the men`s.

Who will the Western Open draft? The PGA Tour has completed an agreement with R.J. Reynolds` Vintage Cigarettes and Nabisco Brands that will put $4 million in the pockets of Tour pros and sponsors. Vantage will sponsor a $2 million player point Vantage Cup competition and Nabisco Brands and the Tour will each contribute $1 million to a charity team competition called the Nabisco Challenge. In the Nabisco Challenge, tournaments like the Western Open will draft players Nov. 14 in Dallas to represent them in the competition. The top team will win $500,000 for its charity. Players will compete for a first prize of $500,000 in the Vantage Cup competition with points awarded for top finishes.

-- Corey Pavin shot a 5-under-par 67 for a 54-hole total of 205 and built a three-stroke lead in the $203,330 ABC Cup Japan-U.S. match at Kawanishi, Japan. . . . Jan Stephenson fired a 6-under par 66 for a three-stroke lead over Alice Miller after the first round of individual competition in the Nichirei Ladies Cup at Edosaki, Japan.